Category Archives: Geopolitics

We may be approaching the finale of the power struggle between Venezuela’s illegitimate Chavista regime and the country’s beleaguered democratic opposition. If the opposition’s champion Juan Guaido can succeed in wresting authority from Nicholas Maduro, the consequences will reverberate well beyond Caracas, into global energy markets—and exacerbate the U.S.–Russia rivalry. Continued

General Motors (NYSE:GM) announced Monday that it would be closing down five of its facilities across the United States, ceasing the production of six of its sedan brands, including the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac CT6, XTS, Chevrolet Cruze, Impala, and hybrid-electric Volt. GM will also lay off some 15,000 workers. The car manufacturer claims that through

Development debates often focus on natural curses and blessings. For some countries, being landlocked is a curse resulting in difficult and costly access to/from markets. However, for the countries comprising Central Asia, most notably Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, in ancient times and today, being landlocked has been a blessing. The Silk Road puts Central Asia in

Is $100 a barrel (bbl) inevitable? Brent crude is now trading at $82/bbl, a four-year high, and most analysts believe it won’t stop there. The geopolitical and global financial climate is certainly hospitable to rising oil prices: Saudi Arabia’s Jamal Khashoggi crisis, the specter of Iran sanctions, turmoil in heavy oil-producing states like Venezuela and

On July 16, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are to meet in Helsinki, Finland, for what promises to be an historic summit—one likely to define the course of U.S.-Russian relations for many years to come. Following on the heels of the July 12 NATO summit in Brussels, the outcome of these U.S.-Russia talks may affect

In the snow-covered, fairy-tale city of Munich, global security leaders gathered for their yearly conclave, the Munich Security Conference, the Davos of foreign policy and power. However, instead of Bavarian glory, tension was in the air. This participant repeatedly saw speakers talking past each other, creating an impression that this was not a dialogue about

In his visit to East Asia, President Trump sought to make progress toward five big objectives. Those included reconfigure trade relations, especially with China; tackling North Korea’s aggressive nuclear posture; laying the foundations for a comprehensive Asia policy; reinforcing political-military alliances, particularly with Japan, South Korea and the Philippines; and dealing with China’s economic and

Sayfullo Saipov, a 29-year old, married father of two from a far-away land many Americans haven’t heard about (let alone can find on a map) is the alleged perpetrator of yet another blood-curdling terror attack in the U.S. — this time, in New York City, where he allegedly drove a bus down a busy bicycle

With North Korea wreaking havoc by testing nuclear weapons and missiles, and with Iranian nuclear program becoming once again the focus of U.S. foreign policy, Washington is searching for solutions to both crises. It is important to keep in mind that there are alternative, safer nuclear energy policies. Pyongyang and Tehran should take note and